Here's something I found inspirational and informative.
This is an interview with Rod Serling, who communicates particularly professionally (particularly following 11:11) on the subjects of art, commercialism, shame and the importance of having one's name attached to one's work.
As the video carries on it becomes more and more relevant, but if it doesn't hold your attention, then I recommend you stop watching.
Today as I got out of my truck at the hardware store my smartphone slipped out of my baggy sweatshirt pocket. It landed on its corner on the concrete and slid. It was not in its cover because I don't leave it in its cover when I'm not at work. The cover would easily have protected it from this impact.
Considering a blog entry from last week, this was clearly a test of mettle and philosophical integrity.
The corner is dented sufficiently that it creates a bubble in the screen protector. The phone's original pristine beauty is defeated. Some part of me suffers, but then my better parts tell that part Be calm. Everything goes through this. You yourself are already experiencing the skeletal effects of aging. Would you be 19 again?
Now I have the benefit of no longer being the owner of a precious object. I can go about my business as a human. In fact, now I feel more like I own this phone than I had before today.
Here's to wear and tear.
Shipping for all orders within the mainland USA now costs $3, regardless of order specifics.
This rate doesn't apply for the costly express two-day delivery or for international shipping, but please feel free to send a message if you'd like to work something out.
I spoke with a friend of mine last night about the launch of TMAP and we got to talking about the mission. He said he agreed with it and shared with me my favorite format of information: an anecdote.
Paraphrased, it went thus.
Someone he works with bought an iPhone. This colleague bragged about his new beautiful device. Told everyone how much they should like the clean lines, intuitive interface and tight package. Everyone knew how much he'd spent, and remembered his old one which was fine yesterday. They thought about how theirs was now lesser by the presence of a new one. He took it out of his pocket. It was in an OtterBox.
For those who don't know, the OtterBox is an extremely effective defensive case for high-end devices like iPhones. When your device is in it, you can fire it into a highly magnetized brick puddle and it'll survive.
The problem is, it doubles its volume. Now this sleek thing, which is designed to barely - yet gracefully - fit into a pocket, requires a secondary carrying device, or to be exposed at all times as the desensitized, deformed robot it's become.
A hundred years ago our ancestors carried pocket watches. They were obviously the smartphones of their era: inexcusably expensive, beautiful, pocket sized, internally complicated, and intended to make your life easier. And you wouldn't be caught dead putting one of those in an OtterBox. Their protection was a small chain connected to a button, or simply a deliberate hand.There are times, I suppose, when one of these protective cases is called for. When your work is dirty, or your hands are slippery, or you expect it to get slammed around, and you can't get away with not having it on you. I put my phone (which I selected for its small size) in a thin sleeve when I go to work, for example. But I don't do it thoughtlessly: we should seriously consider what we're doing here.Someone spent a lot of time and money to make a fine thing. And it is surely fine, but never mind that; if it can't survive my average day, why the hell would I want one?
This website will flesh out with some more products in the near future. The intention is to supply man-made objects to people who want them.
Yes, this is not a new idea. In fact, it's kind of the fundamental principle of capitalism - one of the louder isms foisted upon us at birth - but we aim to set ourselves apart by refusing to ever divorce ourselves from our products. Each object's story begins in our hands and continues in yours. We hope you don't let it stop there.
More soon.
Please feel free to write us through the contact page.